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Original poster

Smoking while Pregnant... (!!)

367 replies

Lornatoo · 25/07/2006 23:33

Hi Guys. Normally a lurker, wondering if anybody is out there....?
My friend (honest!)is 28 weeks pregnant with her 3rd. She's really worried about her small bump. Measured at 26 weeks with the MW. She also feels really small in comparison with the previous two. She smokes heavily, is not without common sence and is REALLY worried about her unborn baby.
Now, do I NEED to point out the obvious? is it necessary? Any other somkers out there? I just don't know if I should 'put the boot in' when I'm sure she knows the answer.......?

OP posts:
southeastastra · 28/07/2006 15:08

blimey over 300 posts, of course it's wrong but people do it, stop going on about it

ruty · 28/07/2006 15:09

well obviously southeastra some people don't think it is that wrong, hence the discussion.

courtney88 · 28/07/2006 15:10

well with all do respect that wasn't me!

ruty · 28/07/2006 15:14

fair enough courtney, but ask any doctor if smoking whilst pregnant is a first class risk and I'd be very surprised if they said it wasn't.

courtney88 · 28/07/2006 15:20

understand, but its a risk people do take no matter what we say. i believe the more you say don't do it the more they will stick by there guns and do it. I'm sure they don't think it is smart or cool, they know it's disgusting and risky, there ain't alot we can say to change thier mind, people are sick of being patronised about this issue.

louise35 · 28/07/2006 15:54

I was a smoker until I found out I was pregnant with DD and I stopped immediately. It was bloody hard but I loved that baby from the minute I knew I was having her but my motherly instinct took over and I would have done anything to protect her. Being a Mother surely means that you sacrifice some of your own pleasure for the sake of your children. If you are not prepared to put your kids first then you should think seriously about whether to have children or not. My DD was born 2 weeks early weighing 8lb 3oz and I've kept her away from cigarette smoke ever since, she's now 11 and never had a problem with her chest in her life apart from a chest infection when she was small. On the other hand my Nephew was born 2+ weeks overdue weighing only 5lb, he is now nearly 7 and severely under sized and he also suffers from asthma and recurring chest problems which have meant him having to go to hospital on several occasions. Coincidentally he was subjected to cigarettes while in the womb and even now considering his problems, his father still smokes in the house in front of him, it breaks my heart to see it. It also breaks my heart when I go to the hospital and there are heavily pregnant mothers stood in their dressing gowns outside having a cigarette, what the hell are they thinking? Surely to god there has been enough publicity warnings of the dangers of smoking when pregnant. I will admit I think being an ex smoker does make you more judgemental because you have first hand experience of smoking and how dangerous it is for your own health, let alone your unborn child. I know it must be so hard for some women to give up the addiction and possibly there needs to be more help out there for them but for their unborn child's sake and the health of that child for years to come they seriously have to put their urges second. Lornatoo, I would not hesitate in warning your friend of the potential danger she is putting herself and her baby in. It must be awful for her to be battling an addiction that she knows is harming her baby and I suppose she's stuck in vicious circle, she's stressing about the baby which will be making her want to turn to her cigarettes. It is hard but the be all and end all is that she needs to stop ASAP.

FairyMum · 28/07/2006 15:58

courtney88 , you didn't want to be patronised because of your age, but this is a typical teenage statement my dear:

"i believe the more you say don't do it the more they will stick by there guns and do it"

Amasing. The more information you get about how dangerous it is to smoke. the more you want to do it. Scary, but impossible to argue with such attitudes.

Loulou000 · 28/07/2006 16:13

What Courtney says is quite true. Smokers light up when they are stressed. Being patronised and criticised and attacked for their weakness makes them more stressed. It's not rocket science.

I'm 37 and a non smoker but your patronising attitude makes me so mad.

courtney88 · 28/07/2006 16:19

yeh but they know the risks so why go on and on about it! After that all you can do is patronise them about it and whats that gonna do!!
Make them stop? some how i don't think so my dear.

ruty · 28/07/2006 16:22

this thread is so depressing.

FairyMum · 28/07/2006 16:36

Yes, it is a very depressing thread. I was a smoker myself. I gave up as soon as I got pregnant. I gave up because I knew and understood the risks of smoking and I gave up for my babies. If you can't give up smoking because you get stressed by having the risks pointed out to you then that is very sad for your babies. I think there are 2 types of smokers. The ones who smoke, but at least understand that their habit is disgusting and dangerous. And then you have the other type who just has to stick their head in the sands, feel victimised as soon as they see a "no smoking"sign and insist that since they cross the road on a daily basis, they might as well smoke too.

courtney88 · 28/07/2006 18:44

and insist that since they cross the road on a daily basis, they might as well smoke too

WHAT?????

1Baby1Bump · 28/07/2006 18:52

youre not allowed to say that you gave up straight away, fairy.
that makes you self ritious.... apparently!

1Baby1Bump · 28/07/2006 18:53

rightious

right- shoos

however u blinking spell it!!

SenoraPostrophe · 28/07/2006 19:38

no, there are lots of types of smokers and some find it easier to give up than others.

it's not self righteous to quit (obviously - that's a ludicrous suggestion), but it is self-righteous to bang on about it as if it's the worst possible thing any mum could do to her baby when it isn't. there is just as much evidence to suggest that other things pose just as big a risk.

It's so nice when people actually read your posts isn't it?

ruty · 28/07/2006 20:09

other things like what SP? Anything that you do that is for pleasure that is harmful for your baby should be stopped, no? God, I feel so angry that people take for granted that they are going to have healthy babies and they don't have to try, but if you feel strongly about it you are called self righteous. I'm going to parp myself now, this thread has made me feel sick to my stomach.

1Baby1Bump · 28/07/2006 20:15

yes, i want to know too. what else could you do to a baby inside you as disgusting?

1Baby1Bump · 28/07/2006 20:16

i beleive somewhere i read that the self righteous among us are helping no one by saying we quit when we found out.

SenoraPostrophe · 28/07/2006 20:17

but smoking is not for pleasure 80% of the time.

formula feeding in particular springs to mind as something which has been associated with increased risk of cot death, asthma and other things.

But don't get me wrong. I don't smoke (because I am pregnant - do fancy one though - perhaps that's it). Smoking is not a good thing, and yes, there is a greater element of choice involved than there is for some women who formula feed. It just gets up my nose when people talk about it as if it were infanticide, that's all, especially if those same people see nothing wrong with other statistically "risky" things like formula feeding, or jars-only feeding (OK so the last one not risky as such, but I seem to rmember that it's associated with something or other.)

courtney88 · 28/07/2006 20:18

ehhh, take cocaine, heroin!

1Baby1Bump · 28/07/2006 20:21

why is risky in the wotsit speech things? ( '' )

when i put 'apparently' formula damages your kid i was swiftly corrected that it does.

yet formaula is meant for non bfing babies. nicotine is meant for no babies.

SenoraPostrophe · 28/07/2006 20:24

risky is in quote marks because if it wasn't I'd get jumped on for saying that formula is "as bad as" smoking, when actually I think neither are as bad as people think.

that some babies really need ofrmula because their mums can't breastfeed is beside the point though. loads of babies are given formula because their mums can't be arsed or are squeamish.

FairyMum · 28/07/2006 20:27

I can't think of anything as bad for your baby as smoking. Yes, of course if you do drugs that's bad too, although "if you are going to do it, you are going to do it" aren't you? I can't take people who think formula feeding a baby is as bad as smoking in pregnancy and around a baby. I believe you can ask any health professional and they will point this out to you too.
Giving up smoking when pregnant doesn't make me self-righteous or smug in the slightest. I think it's what any responsible and intelligent mum would do.

Agree with Ruty and wil parp myself now too.

1Baby1Bump · 28/07/2006 20:28

i imagine it must be quite bad for this reason:

dh and i have been out in town a couple of times for a few drinks during this pregnancy.
during these evenings, we have sat in the well ventilated non smoking areas due to my pg.
i have drunk soft drinks all night.
i wake up in the morning with what feels like the mother of all hangovers from hell just from being in the same place as smokers in a ventilated area.

what does it do to a baby if you do smoke, and what has it done to my baby on these 2 occaisions passively.

it made me feel horrendous!

courtney88 · 28/07/2006 20:35

excuse me drugs are not just bad too, they are so many times worse!

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